Sorry for the late chapter.. I've been busy with my university stuff.. Just finished my tests~So here's Chapter 4.. Enjoy~!

Chapter 4

*BEEEP*

The sound of the hotel room bell buzzing alerted the tenant as she scurried towards the door while voicing out. “Who is it?”

There Mayu and Rena stood, with a tray of the hotel’s famous Breakfast Platter and a glass of orange juice. “Mayu and Rena here...”

After taking a quick peep at the peephole, the door opened slowly and a weird looking Maeda Atsuko showed up.

“What the...” Mayu and Rena frowned her eyebrows at the preposterous sight of Atsuko wrapping the bed comforter all around her body with the hoodie over her head. The only thing that can be seen is her pair of eyes and her nose.

“Are you both here alone?” Atsuko popped her head out of the room and glanced left and right before pulling them into the room.

“What are you? Assassin’s Creed? Why are you covering your whole body like this?” Mayu continued glancing up and down at Atsuko.

“I can’t take chances, Mayu.. You should know that I should never be found by anyone.” Atsuko finally removed the comforter off her body and slid down her hoodie.

“You’re really serious about not wanting to be found, are you..” Rena

“Yes I am...”

“Well, here’s the Breakfast Platter that you ordered, Miss Maeda..” Rena removed the stainless steel cover off the plate to reveal a plate containing two slices of toasted bread with blueberry jam, two slices of bacon and sausages, a baked potato with sour cream topping and a sunny-side up egg.

Acchan gave it a little sniff as her eyes closed by itself and then breathe out. “Mmm... It smells good.. And please, call me Atsuko.. Since we’re going to be really close from now on.”

Mayu shot a glance at Rena who replied with a blank stare. They then shifted their attention back at Atsuko. Rena voiced out. “Wow.. Friends with a celebrity? That’s like everybody’s dream come true.”

“Cool! If we are friends, then we should share food!” Mayu immediately lunged towards Atsuko’s Breakfast Platter.

Atsuko reflexes were fast enough to allow her to shift her plate away before Mayu could get her hands on it. Mayu ended up flat on the ground. “That hurts....”

“Nah-ah... Not so fast, Mayu.. This is my breakfast. If you want it, you have to order your own portion.” Atsuko smiled sweetly at her.

Atsuko was just sitting by her bed, enjoying her breakfast while watching their little skit. She giggled to herself. “You guys are funny..”

Both of them continued arguing with each other. Rena voiced out, “It’s $17 per person, Mayu... Alright, fine.. I’ll donate that one cent for your mental check up, so you get $17.01. Deal?”

Atsuko’s cellphone suddenly rang, bringing silence to both the girls. As soon as Atsuko looked at it, she lost her smile in an instant. Atsuko put her phone in silent mode and tossed it aside. Her expression changed from cheerful to gloomy.

“Work?” Rena was a little concerned because Atsuko’s face did not look that good.

Atsuko shook her head and smiled back at them. “Nah... Just some unnecessary calls.”

“There’s something fishy about this..” Mayu whispered to Rena.

“You don’t say.. I can sense it as well.. And I don’t think the reason she ran away was simply because she wanted to avoid work.” Rena whispered back.

“What are you two whispering to each other?”

“Oh, nothing... Just that you have a beautiful shirt, that’s all..”

Atsuko remained glancing at both of them silently before voicing out to them. “You think I have other reasons to be here don’t you?”

Rena quickly replied. “Oh, of course no-”

Mayu intercepted. “Yes, we do actually...”

“God damn it, Mayu..” Rena smacked herself on the head.

Atsuko looked away from them for a short moment.

“So, we were right.. There must be some other reason that drive you to run away. We can tell something else is bothering you.. And it’s definitely not your packed schedule.”

“You can tell us, Atsuko.."

“I......” Atsuko finally opens her mouth, attracting attention from the two girls.

“Yes? Go on..” Both the girls were anxiously waiting to hear Atsuko’s story.

Atsuko stood up suddenly and rushed them out of the door. “I’m sorry.. I’ll call you again if I need anything, ok? See you guys..” Atsuko smiled back at them before she slammed the door right at their faces.

They looked at each other for a short while before Mayu voiced out. “Definitely suspicious..”

“Yea.. But if she doesn’t want to reveal it, we are not going to force her to.” Rena looked at her watch. “Well, it’s 8.30am now. We still have about half an hour before our shift starts.”

“Let’s just hang around in the Staff Lounge..” Both Mayu and Rena made their way to the Staff Lounge.

“Rena, one moment.” A familiar voice called out. It was Jurina.

“Ah, Miss Matsui? Is there a problem?” Rena asked.

Jurina shot a deep glance at Mayu signifying her to leave the area at once.

“I-I’ll just meet you back at the Staff Lounge, Rena..” Mayu quickly escaped from the area, leaving only Rena and Jurina in the hall way.

“I hope you still remember that you owe me $1000.”

“Oh, crap. I forgot all about that..” Rena thought.

“Just a reminder, you only have four more days to pay up.”

“But what If I really can’t get the money in four days time?”

“Then I will transfer you into another department.” Jurina answered right away.

Jurina giggled a little. “Pfft... Nah, I was just kidding.. Of course I am not going to transfer you.”

“Phew..” Rena let out a loud sigh of relief. “For a moment, I really thought you were serious.”

“Nah.. I’m not transferring you anywhere.” Jurina’s tone changed into a serious one right away. “I will simply fire you. It’s faster and easier.”

“H-Huh?” Rena’s eyes widened in shock.

“You heard me, Rena.. You have four days to pay the money or you’re fired.”

“B-But you can’t do that..”

“Bad news for you, Rena. Apparently, I can.”

“B-But you can’t fire me just because I can’t pay you back the money..” Rena argued back.

Jurina became completely pissed off. “You think it is solely about the $1000? Since you ruined my clothes, I was forced to miss out on a very important business meeting with a CEO of another hotel about a project that costs millions of dollars.. Then the CEO now thinks that I am some stuck up bitch who does not want to do business together. I had to write a letter of apology to the CEO and explain the matter in detail to her. Then you dare talk back to me like you’re above me? Yeah, I have more than enough reasons to fire you on the very first day itself. Don’t you start challenging me now, Rena. If I was any worse than I already am, I would have asked for a million dollar compensation! So don’t come complaining to me that you can’t pay up $1000 when you almost made me lose a million dollar worth project! I was going to keep this to myself. I really did not want to say all these but you forced me to.”

Rena did not realize that the little accident she caused will turn out to be a huge matter. She tilted her head down in guilt immediately. “I-I’m sorry..”

“Forget it.. Remember.. Four days, Rena...” Jurina reminded for for another time before leaving the area.

Rena was left dumbfounded for a short while. She then walked back to the Staff Lounge and sat beside Mayu.

Mayu, seemingly curious, asked Rena about the situation right away. “So, how was the little chat with Jurina?”

Rena sighed loudly. “Simple. No $1000 in four days time, no more job.”

“You mean she will fire you if you don’t pay her back? Isn’t she misusing her authority in this case? Jeez, that Jurina is really a pain in the ass..”

“It’s a good thing that Jurina is doing all these to me, though.. It’s like a life’s challenge..” Rena suddenly looked up at the ceiling and smiled on her own.

“You know, sometimes I don’t understand you at all..” Mayu shook her head before her eyes shifted towards a couch nearby. “Hey, Rena.. Take a look at that tall lady laying on the couch over there.. She looks hot.” Mayu nudged Rena’s arm and pointed at the couch.

“Take a look at her yourself, Rena..” Mayu turned Rena’s head towards that direction.

The lady lay on the couch, hands tucked behind her head. The headphones attached to her ears. She looked quite comfortable in her faded blue jeans and Converse shoes. Her lightly tanned skin shined in the beam of the chandelier that stole its way into the whole room. Her brunette hair was feathered back away from her face revealing the perfect lines of her lips. She had her eyes closed, his brain soaking up the music no one could hear.The red light on the stereo flickered as the track on the tape changed. Her eyes opened and Rena saw that they were two very stunning, beautiful black orbs. She looked around the modernly furnished surroundings of the AKB Staff Lounge before removing the headphones from her ears and turned off the stereo. As the red light slowly faded out, the lady also faded off into a deep, restful sleep. Her body now lay motionless except for the soft rise and fall of his chest with every breath she took.

“Well, I have to admit it myself. She sure looks kinda hot..” Even Rena was amused by the lady laying on the couch. “But this is one rare time where I actually find a lady beautiful and handsome at the same time.”

“See? I told you.. Even her legs are long and slim..” Mayu smiled in satisfaction.

“Excuse me? Why does it always have to be me? Why don’t you go talk to her?” Rena pushed Mayu’s shoulder.

“Sorry but I am loyal to Miss Kashiwagi. I have no interest with other beings..”

Rena’s mouth was pried open from Mayu’s statement. “Other beings? I feel offended, Mayu. Am I just an ‘other being’ to you?”

It didn’t take Mayu a second to reply. “Compared to Miss Kashiwagi, you’re nothing but Hunchback of the Notre Dame. So, please never compare yourself to Miss Kashiwagi.”

Rena placed both her arms on her waist after hearing Mayu’s preposterous words. “Wow.. Is that how you treat your childhood friend? I’ve known you almost my whole life. That Miss Kashiwagi on the other hand, crossed her legs just once and you put her above me? Some best friend you are, Mayu.. Some best friend you are.. You are eligible of getting the worst friend award.”

Mayu let out an annoying snicker. “Pfft... If you’re trying to make me feel guilty by saying these things, let me just tell you straight. It’s not going to work. Not in a million years. And Miss Kashiwagi will forever be my angel..”

“Erm... Hi..” The tall lady who was dozing off on the couch was standing beside them, grabbing their attention. “Are you two new here?”

“Uh-huh..” Mayu and Rena nodded their heads simultaneously.

“Cool... What’s your name?” The tall lady asked.

Rena answered politely. “Oh, this is Watanabe Mayu and I’m Matsui Rena. Today is our third day working here as receptionists. And you are?”

“Shinoda Mariko. The Executive Chef of this hotel. As the title already explained, I am the one who takes care of all the chefs in this hotel and make sure that all food served in this hotel are of the highest quality.” The lady explained.

“Wow.. You’re Shinoda Mariko? The one who wrote the famous gourmet book, ‘The Spice of Life’?” Rena seemed shocked.

“Well, that should be me..” Mariko smiled back.

“Oh my god, I’m a very big fan of your books, Miss Shinoda.” Rena clasped both her hands together in awe as her eyes shone brightly at Mariko.

Rena got excited and she started blabbering about. “I have been trying out some of your recipes. I tasted it myself. It was delicious. My grandmother told me it tasted just like the original. Ask Mayu. She was there to try it out.”

Mayu nodded her head at Rena’s statement and placed an arm over Rena’s shoulder. “Yes, I agree that Rena’s cooking is AMAZING, Mariko.. So amazing that her cooking and your cooking had only one thing in difference.”

“Wow, Mayu I never knew you thought that way of my cooking before. You’re making me feel touched..” Gaining a compliment from Mayu had always been the hardest thing in the world. Rena was literally feeling touched by Mayu’s statement since she hardly received any compliments from her before.

Except for, it wasn’t a compliment actually. “Don’t get emotional with me now, Rena. I’m not done. The one difference between both your cooking is that Rena’s dish sucked 48 times more than yours, Mariko.. Yours was exquisite. Hers, rubbish.”

Rena was shocked. “Oi oi, it’s not that bad! And where the hell did you get the number 48 from?”

“Just telling the truth.. And the truth hurts. Welcome to the real world, Rena. Deal with it.” Mayu shrugged and smiled innocently.

“Rena, was it? So, do you like cooking?” Mariko asked Rena.

“I love it with all my heart..” Rena nodded.

“Good. Then don’t let those words from Mayu discourage you from that. Just keep on practicing and I will be looking forward for the day I can finally taste your cooking. Ok?” Somehow Mariko’s words got into Rena deep.

“Mayu, Rena! What are you two still lazing around here for? It’s already 9.05am. You’re already five minutes late for work.” A loud voice roared at Mayu and Rena, and GUESS WHO?

Upon hearing the voice, Rena and Mayu automatically stood up straight as if they were boy scouts being called out by their leader. “M-Miss Matsui..”

Jurina looked over at Mariko and ordered. “Mariko, you too..”

“Yes, Miss Matsui.” Mariko nodded her head a little in respect before turning back at Mayu and Rena’s direction. “It’s been nice chatting with the both of you. Let’s chat again some time. I’ll be taking my leave now. I’ll see you two around.”

After grabbing her clothes from the locker, Mariko took them into the changing room and changed into her formal attire.

“Well, let’s get going Rena.” Mayu pulled Rena away from the lounge as fast as she can. Jurina managed to shoot a final glance at Rena’s guilty face for one final time bbefore they exited.

As they made their way towards the lobby, they stumbled upon the always beautiful CEO Kashiwagi Yuki.

“Thank you for your compliments, Mayu..” Yuki smiled back at her and continued making her way to her office.

“Ah, M-Miss Kashiwagi!” Mayu called out again.

Yuki turned around. “Yes?”

“A-Are you free this this Saturday?” Mayu voiced out.

“You’re not asking her out on a date, are you?” Rena whispered into Mayu’s ears.

“Shut up, Rena.” Mayu whispered back.

As predicted by Rena, Yuki asked the same question. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

Mayu blushed so badly from Yuki’s one word. “D-D-D-Date? Err............. Y-Y-Y-Yes.. A date..”

“I would love to..” Yuki answered, causing Mayu’s face to bleam in happiness. It didn’t last long as Yuki continued her statement. “But unfortunately I will not be free this Saturday. I have a date with Jurina on Saturday.”

Mayu lost her smile in an instant. “A date with Jurina? O-Oh... It’s ok.. I mean...definitely Miss Matsui is more important than me, right... Ha Ha Ha...” Mayu let out a fake laughter.

Mayu squinted her eyes as she thought about something. “I’m still bothered by the fact that she is going out on a date with that Jurina..”

Rena placed her arm over Mayu’s shoulder. “Just let it go, Mayu.. Be happy that you even have the chance to go on a date with the CEO.”

They finally made their way to the reception and took their respective seats. “Fine. Forget about that.. What about you? What are you going to do about your case with Jurina?”

“Today I learnt a valuable lesson from Mariko..” Rena looked at Mayu with a bright expression.

“Yeah? Do enlighten me..”

“When there is someone or something who is trying to prevent you from reaching your goal in life, you have to keep on going and going until you overcome that obstacle. Life is bound to have obstacles, Mayu. It’s like a wall in your path. We will always have three choices. First, to do nothing and let the obstacle forever hinder you from getting to your destination. Second, we could use a detour and avoid that obstacle, but it is the same as running away from your problems. What is the meaning of life when there are no obstacles? Or third, I could break down that wall that is blocking my path and continue achieving my dreams. This way, I can be stronger and more experienced.. Jurina now thinks that I am not capable of bringing her the $1000 in four days time. So, I must find the $1000 and pay her back so that she would change her impression me. I want to prove to her that I am capable of solving this problem.”

“That’s freaking deep, Rena. So unlike you... I have to praise you a little..” Mayu applauded softly.

“But I still can’t believe we were be able to meet up with so many amazing people while working here.. It feels like I’m dreaming.”

“Dream?” Mayu proceeded to pinch Rena’s face as hard as she could. Rena’s cheek was stretched by a few centimeters before Mayu finally let go of it and snapped it back onto Rena’s face. There was a red patch on her face. “Still think you’re dreaming?”

“OUCH!!” Rena covered her cheek and glared back at Mayu. “You used that as an excuse to pinch my cheek?”

“Hey, you’re the one who said that you’re dreaming. So don’t blame me for attempting to bring you back to Earth.” Mayu shrugged.

“Someday I am going to have my revenge on you, Mayu..”

“Bring it on, girl.. I can play this revenge forever with you.” Mayu leaned back on her seat and shot a look of confidence at Rena.

At that time, a short lady entered and walked towards the reception table. Mayu and Rena stopped arguing right away. The lady had short hair and she was wearing a brown, long coat. Her hands were tucked into her pocket.

As usual, Rena greeted her guest with a bright smile. “Yes, how may I help you?”

The lady passed them a card and introduced herself. “My name is Takahashi Minami. I know this may seem random but did Maeda Atsuko by any chance drop by this hotel?”

“M-M-Maeda Atsuko?? The super star Maeda Atsuko? Errr..........” Rena was a little surprised as she stuttered a little from the lady’s sudden question.

“Who wants to know?” Mayu quickly backed Rena up.

“I’m the official photographer for Maeda Atsuko and also a friend.” Minami answered.

“Sorry but she isn’t here..” Rena answered.

Minami reached for her cellphone and clicked on the ‘1’ button to speed-dial a number. She stood there for a few seconds with her phone placed on her ear. “Come on, Atsuko.. Pick up.....”

From here on, Mayu and Rena already knew that this short lady right here is very close with Atsuko since she was number 1 on the speed dial list.

Mayu suddenly remembered something. “Hey Rena, do you think this lady was the one who called Atsuko this morning?”

Hearing Mayu’s statement, Rena voiced out to Minami. “Excuse me. Sorry for asking this, but what is your relationship with Maeda Atsuko? Just a photographer and a friend?”

Minami rolled her eyes around and finally back to their direction. “Yea...”

Rena whispered into Mayu’s ear. “How suspicious....”

Mayu asked Minami. “Do you happen to be very close with Maeda Atsuko?”

“Yes, I am very close to her. She had been missing for three whole days. If you know where she is, please tell me.. I’ll do anything..” Minami begged.

“I have an idea... This could be a chance..” Rena was suddenly enlightened.

“What are you talking about, Rena?” Mayu was confused with Rena’s random statement.

“When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, Mayu...” Rena grinned at Mayu before turning back to Minami. “How desperate are you to look for Maeda Atsuko?”

“Very...” Minami answered right away.

Rena gestured Minami to come closer and whispered into her ears. “What if I told you that Maeda Atsuko is here and we both are the only ones who know about it?”

Mayu nudged Rena’s shoulder and pulled her in for a whisper. “You traitor. We promised Atsuko that we will keep this a secret.”

“Mayu, you’re smart. So you should know what I am trying to do. This is the only chance I have.. It’s now or never.” Rena whispered.

“You’re trying to blackmail her? This is not the right way to get your money, Rena.. Blackmailing someone is a criminal offense!” Mayu whispered back.

“Don’t worry, Mayu... I got this..” Rena assured Mayu.

“I just want to confirm this. Do you REALLY know where Atsuko is?” Minami asked.

Rena gestured Minami to come closer once again and whispered into her ears. “She is definitely here, but she told me not to tell anyone about it.”

Minami reached for her purse, took out a pile of cash and placed them on the table directly in front of Rena’s face. Rena did not even get the chance to ask for the money as Minami already took out the pile of cash all by herself. Minami then voiced out to Rena. “I’ll pay you $5000 cash if you can bring me straight to her.”

“F-F-Five thousand!?” Rena was surprised.

“Holy crap, just how rich are the people here!?” Mayu couldn’t contain herself as well.

Rena pulled Mayu back in for another whisper. “You saw that? I didn’t even have to make a move. I didn’t blackmail her. She was the one who offered us the money by herself. Just take a look, Mayu.. It’s $5000.. That’s a lot of money...”

“Bring me to her and this $5000 will be yours.. I’m not playing around.” Minami seemed serious about her offer.

Rena turned her head towards Mayu and grinned. “Like I said, Mayu.. When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade..”

Mayu grinned back at Rena. “This has got to be the most expensive lemonade I have ever seen..”

NICEEEE!!!! I LOVE IT! NOW RENA CAN PAY BACK TO JURINA! But On the another Hand, she kinda betrayal acchan. JURINA don't be so mean to RENA~ I love how mayu treat her childhood friend HAHA~ I WANT NEXT ARDY! THANKS FOR THE UPDATE~

Zhen : Indeed Rena can now repay Jurina back, but now a new problem arises.. What of Atsuko's secret? Stay tuned for the next chapter to find out~ Well, Mayu and Rena were childhood friends.. So they will not get mad even if they insult each other..

proest1drago : If Mayu and Rena were to act like this in real life, I would make MayuRena my kami OTP

So Takamina is a photographer, Acchan is an idol, MayuRena are receptionists and Mariko as a chef. When you have a really angry CEO, in this case Jurina, you have to have a freaking hot as hell CEO, in this case Yukirin

I love Mayu and Rena's relationship here..Indeed a good friend never took each other insult seriously...

Is Yuki attracted to Mayu already???Because she agreed to go on a date with Mayu...And obviously she's not really dating Jurina, because she just agree to go on a date with Mayu..

Ahhh... Rena get the money to pay Jurina easily..But, will it backfire to her??But, I wonder what's the problem between Atsuko and Takamina...Lovers quarrel??Maybe Atsuko confessed, but Takamina reject her because Atsuko is a celebrity?Or they are dating already??Atsuko seems mad at Takamina though..

I enjoyed MayuRena moments so much~ Jurina is sure a strict CEO~ I wonder what happen to Atsuko nee?? LOLOL Mayu so bold ~ A date~~ Will Rena going to get that money easily and I know the deal with Takamina but will Jurina accept it? uwaahhh...will be waiting for the next update~

New reader!! I LOOOVE THIS FANFIC SO MUCH!! the way mayu and rena interaction with each other are interesting~and there you are Takamina~ rena mayu go help her! I wonder Atsuko reaction by her friend ckckck

Minami pressed the bell while they were still busy discussing. All they could do is blink their eyes at Minami’s action. It was already too late to stop her. Minami was smart enough to hide herself at the side after she pressed on the bell. Atsuko who heard the hotel room bell buzz, took a peek at the peephole. All she could see was Mayu and Rena standing outside her room. So, without thinking, she opened the door. As soon as Atsuko opened the door, Minami popped out from the side, shocking her.

Atsuko immediately shot a glare at both Rena and Mayu. “You two sold me out!?”

“No no no no... We can explain actually..” Mayu tried to calm Atsuko down.

“It’s not their fault, Atsuko. I was the one who forced them to tell me..” Minami grabbed onto Atsuko’s shoulder. “Why did you run away, Atsuko? We talked about this..”

Acchan smacked Minami’s hand off her shoulder. “Please, Minami.. Just leave. I’m not going to repeat this twice.”

“Please come home, Atsuko. Or else, the news will soon spread and the media will report that you went missing. Things will get complicated.”

“....” Atsuko remained silent from Minami’s statement. Minami was right. Being a famous celebrity, running away from home or going missing will bring a huge impact to the music industry.

“Atsuko, please.. Think about it.. Everyone is worried about you.. All of us in the company decided to keep this news a secret so that it will not affect your job in the future.” Minami convinced nicely.

“Just give me few more days to think about it, ok?” Atsuko calmed down a little.

“Erm.. Atsuko.. Are you mad at us?” Rena guiltily asked.

“It’s not like being mad at you two will change anything now.. And I’m not the hot tempered kind of lady. I’m not mad, I’m just surprised.. Now that I think about it, I actually feel thankful that you brought Minami here.” Atsuko smiled at them. They felt completely relieved.

“I’m not going to force you to come home now. Just tell me when you’re ready to go home, ok? Just give me a call. I’ll be around.” Minami caressed Atsuko’s cheek.

Mayu and Rena did not say anything. They just looked blankly at each other as Atsuko smiled and nodded her head sweetly at Minami.

“Go get some rest now, Atsuko.. I’ll see you again soon.” Minami took a step back, allowing Atsuko to step back into her room and shot a sweet smile at Minami before closing the door.

The three ladies made their way back down to the front desk. Minami asked them. “Do you have any available rooms here? I would like to stay here till the day Atsuko decides to leave.”

“Sure. What kind of room would you like?” Rena asked.

“Any rooms will do. I don’t mind.” Minami answered.

“Just a moment.” Rena smiled back at Minami.

“What’s going on between you two?” Mayu asked Minami.

“Just some personal stuff and she’s been away for three days. I must bring her home by any means necessary.”

“By any means necessary?” Mayu shot a suspicious look at Minami before voicing out once again, “You do know that kidnapping is a criminal offense, right?”

“No! I would never do such thing to Minami. I will patently wait for her till she agrees to come home. Otherwise, I’m not going to leave.”

“Hmm... Seems like something really is going on between you two..”

“It’s personal, Mayu.”

“Well, secrets can also be shared with other people.”

“Then it’s not going to be a secret anymore, right?”

“You’ve got a point...” Mayu nodded. “But seriously, you both made me so curious about this matter. Come on, share it a little..”

“Why don’t you ask Atsuko to tell you about it? Well, that’s if she’s willing to tell you..” Minami giggled a little.

“Stop digging into other people’s personal life, Mayu. You’re no different than those aunt who gossips a lot.. And here’s your card, Minami. Enjoy your stay here.” Rena politely handed the hotel room card to Minami and smiled.

“Thank you..” As Minami was about to leave, Rena called her back.

“Ah, Minami... Before I forget, I should return this money back to you.” Rena took out the $5000 that Minami gave her.

Minami slowly reached her hand towards the pile of cash and softly pushed it back towards Rena’s chest.

“H-Huh?” Rena seemed surprised with Minami’s action.

“It’s alright. You hang on to it.” Minami smiled at Rena.

“B-But...”

“The money’s yours now as I promised. Keep it. I’ll see you two around.” Minami shot a wink at them before leaving the area and headed towards the hotel lift.

Rena gave a blank look at Mayu while still holding onto the $5000 on her hand. “Mayu, pinch me..”

“With pleasure!” Mayu did not even ask for the reason at all as she started pinching and stretching Rena’s cheek as hard as she could.

“Ouch!!!” Rena let out a little shriek in pain and placed her palm over her cheek. She should have known that Mayu will never hold back on her strength. What more, it was Rena who urged Mayu to pinch her cheek. “That hurts like hell, Mayu!”

“Good.. Shows that you’re not dreaming. The $5000 belongs to us now.” Mayu giggled a little at the red spot on Rena’s cheek.

“I see you had some fun pinching my cheek, huh? Let me pinch your cheek once.” Rena stood up from her seat and lunged her arms onto Mayu.

“Oi oi.. No way in hell! You’re the one who asked me to pinch your cheek yourself!” Mayu resisted with all her strength.

The table bell rang suddenly, alerting both the girls. As they looked front, they were shocked to see a pair of angry looking eyes staring right at them. “Having fun?”

“M-Miss Yokoyama..” They immediately sat back down on their respective seats.

“Playing in the hotel front desk gives a very bad impression for the hotel guests.. If I catch you both doing this one more time, you’ll receive your first warning letter. Are we clear?” Yui warned both of them.

Yuki appeared at the scene and placed her hand on Yui’s shoulder. “Now now, Yui.. Let’s give them some time to adapt, shall we? I’m quite sure they won’t play around like this again, right girls?” Yuki shifted her eyes towards them.

They nodded silently like two little girls being lectured by their mother.

“Try not to play around too much while you’re working, ok?” Yuki advised them with a smile on her face.

“We’re sorry, Miss Kashiwagi.. We’re not going to play anymore..” Rena and Mayu apologized. Both Yuki and Yui soon left the front desk leaving the two girls to continue their daily gossip.

Mayu gave it a thought. “I think something must be up between Minami and Atsuko..”

Without saying another word, Rena shot a loving expression at Mayu and caressed her cheek. She then spoke out in a loving tone. “Just tell me when you’re ready to go home, ok?”

Rena explained. “Do you get the situation now, Mayu? We’re best friends since childhood and also I’ve had enough friends to tell that Atsuko and Minami are not in a simple friend relationship. You feel disgusted from my action, right? No worries, I feel disgusted as well. You see? We have a limit for our closeness. In other words, Atsuko and Minami are definitely more than just best friends.”

“That’s just your assumption, Rena. I’m not going to jump into any conclusion based on only that..”

Rena stared at Mayu’s face blankly and playfully caressed her face once again.

Rena thought Mayu’s reaction was hysterical. She laughed at Mayu’s reaction before the sight of Jurina walking past the hotel front desk caught her attention. She called her out immediately. “Miss Matsui!”

“Here.. Your $1000.” Rena stood up and placed a $1000 cash on the table.

Jurina stared at Rena for a moment before taking the $1000 cash from Rena’s hand. “Thank you.”

“O-Oh, it’s alright Miss Matsui.. You don’t have to thank me for that. It was my mistake from the very beginning. I should be the one thanking you for giving me a chance to continue working here. I’m really grateful. For that, I thank you. And I am really sorry for any accidents or mishaps caused before this.” Rena bowed her head a little in respect.

Jurina seemed a little surprised with Rena’s action. She then voiced out. “Where did you get the money from?”

Rena shook her head a little. “It doesn’t matter where I got the money from. What matters is that I was able to pay you back. And don’t worry, these are clean money. Not obtained by means of criminal activities.”

“Alright. I believe you.” Jurina kept the cash in her pocket.

“So, are you still mad at me?” Rena asked in a guilty tone.

“I used to be.. But not anymore. To tell the truth, I never really thought that you would be able to pay me.”

“You were actually waiting to fire me from this job?”

“I’ve never actually planned to fire you. Sometimes, some people just needed a little push and you’ll be surprised with the outcome they will bring to you. Your case is an example. I may seem intimidating and fierce most of the time but I am not unreasonable. When you thanked and apologized to me just now, my impression of you changed a little. You may actually be a better person than I thought you were.”

Rena’s mind went blank for a few seconds. What was that facial expression Jurina showed to Rena a couple of seconds ago? Rena had never seen that expression from Jurina’s face before. That’s right. Jurina was smiling at her. Rena touched her face and it felt warmer than usual. Rena rolled her eyes over to Mayu to notice that she was squinting her eyes at her. While still having a suspicious look carved on her face, Mayu asked, “You need to put an ice pack on your face, Rena.”

Rena looked confused. “What are you talking about?”

“What am I talking about, you ask? Take a look at your own face, Rena.” Mayu took out her pocket mirror and showed it to Rena. Rena was shocked to find that her face was blushing in red.

“My gosh. What just happened..” Rena covered her face.

“Who looks like a baboon’s ass now?” Mayu said in a triumphant tone.

“Just shut up, Mayu..” Rena rolled her eyes.

“That Jurina has some warmth in her after all..” Mayu let out a giggle.

The next day (AKB Mall)

“I needed some sleep, Mayu.. Can’t you just grab some nice clothing from your closet instead of coming out so early in the morning to buy a new one? You have like thousands of them..” Rena yawned.

“I have a date with Miss Kashiwagi tomorrow, Rena. I must get new clothes.”

“Yea, but at 10am?” Rena yawned once again.

“I needed more time to choose what I like. I can’t screw this up.” Mayu explained with a loud voice.

“Sure sure. Suit yourself..” Rena admited defeat.

“Hey.. Which one do you think is better? This one? Or this one?” Mayu lifted a blue dress on her right hand and a pink dress on her left.

“Hmm...” Rena gave it a little thought before answering. “Pink was never your colour. The blue one is better.”

“Cool... The pink one then..” Mayu placed the blue dress back in its rack.

“Oi, what’s the point of asking me for recommendations and yet you don’t take it into consideration?” Rena looked a little annoyed.

“It’s a free country. So I have to right to oppose you and pick what I want.”

“Jeez.. Then don’t ask for my recommendation.”

“Oooo..... Look at these shoes...” Mayu rushed towards the shoe section and held up two pairs of shoes. “Hey Rena.. Which one should I get? The high heels or the flats?”

“The high heels, of course. You’re going on a date. Dress to impress.”

“Eh..... But I feel uncomfortable wearing high heels. Meh.. I’ll just get the flats.” Mayu placed the high heels back on its rack.

Rena closed her eyes and sighed loudly. “The next time you ask me for recommendations, I’m just going to keep my mouth shut.”

Mayu simply ignored Rena’s statement and made her way to the counter. After glancing through Mayu’s pink dress for another time, Rena voiced out. “You’re really choosing pink? Like, really?”

“I don’t see the problem with pink dress. It’s cute.” Mayu took out some cash from her purse and paid for them.

“You actually think you look cute in pink?” Rena raised both her eyebrows.

“I don’t need pink to look cute, Rena. I’m cute no matter what I wear..” Mayu shot a cute and sweet smile at Rena. For normal people, they would have fallen for her sweet smile. Somehow Rena is completely immune to it. In fact, Rena feels disgusted looking at Mayu acting cute in front of her.

“I think I’m going to puke. Ugh-” Rena acted as if she really was going to puke. Her body was bend over.

“Oh shut up, Rena. You’re just jealous because you’re not as cute as me.”

Rena held her hands up. “Oho.. Don’t you worry about that, Mayu.. I’m proud not being cute.”

Mayu didn’t seem to pay attention to Rena’s statement as she was looking outside of the store. She looked a little disturbed. Feeling a little concerned about her friend’s behaviour, Rena asked Mayu. “You don’t look well.. What’s wrong?”

“Isn’t that Miss Kashiwagi and Miss Matsui over there?” Mayu pointed at two ladies standing just opposite the store they were in.

“You’re being too superstitious, Jurina. You just got a cold, that’s all.” Yuki took out a tissue and passed it to Jurina. “Here, blow your nose.”

And Jurina did blow her nose into the tissue. “You know, Yuki.. Sometimes I just think you’re like my mom.”

Yuki didn’t seem to like Jurina’s statement as she squinted her eyes at Jurina. “You’re not trying to say that I’m old, are you?”

“Pffttt.... You? Old? Do you even age? Even if you wear a school uniform right now and go to school, people would actually believe that you’re a student. You’re not old. What I’m trying to say is that you care for me as much as my mom does.”

“But I have yet to finish stalking them..” Mayu continued peeping out of the store like a burglar.

Rena dragged Mayu away from the scene. “Forget about them, Mayu. You’’re going on a date with Miss Kashiwagi anyway. It’s time to leave.. We’re really going to be late.”

Later that evening (AKB Hotel Front Desk)

“Gosh, I just can’t wait for today to pass.. I can’t believe I really am going on a date with Miss Kashiwagi..”

“Something still bothers me a lot.. Why were they so close to each other.. They’re definitely not dating one another.. If they were, Miss Kashiwagi would never have agreed to go on a date with me..” Mayu squeezed her brain.

“Who knows? Maybe she’s a two timer?” Rena laughed out loud.

“Rena, if you say that about Miss Kashiwagi again, I will chop your head off..” Mayu warned.

“Would you like me to bring you a cleaver?” Rena sarcastically answered.

“HA HA HA! Not very funny, Rena.. Don’t be jealous because I have a date and you don’t.”

“I’m not eager to find a date after all.. So I’m all cool..” Rena shrugged.

Noticing the entrance, Rena saw a girl with a fur coat and leather pants, wearing sunglasses. She looked fabulous like a model. A man in suit was walking behind her, presumably, her bodyguard. “Yea, who’s that?”

“Wow, she has really good fashion sense. She looks like a model.” Rena seemed impressed.

“She IS a model, Rena. Don’t you read fashion magazines? Itano Tomomi a.k.a Tomochin, modeled for a lot of cosmetic and fashion design products. Number one in fashion. Number one in being a complete spoiled brat as well.. Just look at the way she walks.” Mayu secretly pointed at the girl walking towards the reception.

“Spoiled brat? Oh come on, Mayu. Don’t be like that. I’m sure she is not that bad.” Rena didn’t want to judge the book by its cover.

“Oh yeah? If that’s what you think, good luck to you then. You better hold your anger in well. Or else, if she complains to her dad about this, things will get political.. We don’t want that, alright? Brace yourself, here she comes.” Mayu gave Rena a last nudge before the girl stood in front of the front desk.

Rena shot a sweet smile at the girl standing by the front desk. “Good evening, ma’am. How may I...”

“Itano Tomomi, daughter of the Japan’s president. Find me a suite now.” She wasn’t even looking at Rena. She was playing with her nails when she introduced herself.

“Erm.. Okay... Let me take a look.” After looking at the screen for a moment, Rena replied with a smile. “I’m sorry, Miss Itano. All the suites were occupied.”

Tomochin seemed annoyed. “What kind of hotel is this? I demanded for a suite and you dare tell me that they’re all occupied? Do you know who am I? I could sue you right here, right now.”

“Wow wow wow...” Rena was shocked from Tomochin’s last sentence. “Calm down, ma’am.. There’s no need for suing. You have to understand, there are no available suites left. How about a Duplex Room? It’s just as big as the-”

Tomochin did not allow Rena to finish her sentence and pointed at her face. “I don’t care what a Duplex Room is. I want a suite and it is your job to find me one. If you can’t then just chase someone out. Simple.”

Mayu helped out. “No offense, ma’am.. We can’t chase the other guests away just because you want it. It is unfair for the others.”

“Where’s your CEO! I want to meet your CEO now!” Tomochin slammed her fist on the table and demanded. Even her bodyguard tried to calm her down.

“Ma’am.. Let’s not make things more complicated then it already is.” Rena tried to calm Tomochin down but it didn’t seem to work.

“You’re the ones making things complicated for me. I demand to see the CEO!” Tomochin stomped her foot and insisted.

Mayu immediately made an emergency call for Yuki using the hotel front desk telephone. Moments later, Yuki arrived at the scene. “What seems to be the problem here?”

Mayu answered in a sarcastic tone, “Miss President’s daughter right here demands for a suite when they are none left.”

“Ah, Miss Itano. It’s been some time.” Even Yuki bowed her head a little in respect. “When was the last time we’ve met? Like four years ago? You’ve grown a lot since then.” Yuki smiled sweetly at her.

“There’s no need for introduction now, Yuki. I want a suite. Get me one.” Tomochin shot an annoyed glare at Rena and Mayu before voicing out. “You should fire these two incapable workers of yours, Yuki..”

Rena and Mayu merely looked at each other. Both of them were thinking of the same thing. “What the hell is wrong with her.”

Yuki replied Tomochin with a smile. “Forgive us, Miss Itano, but the suites are really fully occupied. How about a duplex room? Would you like that?”

“Duplex room again? What’s that? Is it big?”

“No worries, Miss Itano. I assure you the Duplex Room is just as big as the suite. It’s a room that has been spread on two floors, connected by an internal staircase. Think of it as a mini bungalow. How does that sound?” Yuki suggested the Duplex Room once again.

“Hmm... Ok then. I’ll take that.” Tomochin nodded her head before glancing over to Rena. “You should have suggested that to me earlier.”

Rena looked at Tomochin blankly and smiled back. “That was what I suggested earlier, ma’am.”

“Ah, whatever. Just get the room ready for me now.” Tomochin brushed Rena off immediately.

“How long would you like to stay here for?” Rena asked with a smile.

“One week.” Tomochin played with her nails again.

“Here, your hotel room card, Miss Itano. I chose the unit with the best sea view for you. Enjoy your stay.” Rena smiled and passed the card key to Tomochin.

“Yes, my lady.” The man politely took the card key from Rena’s hand and passed it to Tomochin.

She then reached for her pink fluffy purse and took out a $50 bill and slammed it on the front desk. “Here, your tip.. Antonio, lets go.” Tomochin and her bodyguard proceeded to the lift without another word.

Right after her figure was out of the picture, Rena cursed immediately. “My gosh, what a bitch.”

Yuki voiced out. “Rena, watch your language.. She’s the President’s daughter whether you like it or not. We can’t let her hear these words about her. And you did quite a good job. You held in your anger pretty well. Keep it up.”

Rena immediately pointed at Mayu’s face. “Don’t even start, Mayu. Just get out of my head, ok?”

Mayu then pulled her chair closer to Rena and looked right into her eyes. “So tell me, why did you blush when you were talking with Miss Matsui yesterday? Was it because of her smile? Or was it because you think that she’s actually nice?”

“You’re hallucinating, Mayu. I didn’t blush.”

Mayu shook her head. “Well your face sure did not agree to that, since you looked like a baboon’s ass that time.”

“Well... Actually I don’t even know what happened.. I just had this warm, fuzzy feeling that time when she smiled at me. That’s all.” Rena finally explained.

“You’re in love!!” Mayu clapped her hands.

“I’d say love is a pretty strong word to describe this. I rather it be called ‘change of impression’. Get it? I just don’t think that she’s as bad as I thought before.. That’s all.”

“Yea, keep telling yourself that. All relationships start with a ‘change of impression’.” Mayu did the finger quote gesture.

Rena let out a long sigh. “I have a suggestion.. How about you take care of your own dating issues and I’ll take care of my own dating issues? How’s that sound? Stop messing with my head, alright? My gosh you’re like a little devil trying to manipulate my brain.”

“Me being able to manipulate other people shows that I have a healthy brain. So I’ll take your statement as a compliment.” Mayu winked at Rena.